His Remnant Church ~ Living in the Last Days ~ Understanding Prophecy

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Near the end of a ballgame when the score is close, the announcer or coach often says it is “Crunch time,” signaling that the end of the game is near and it is time for the players to play harder if they want to win.

Just before taking a final exam it is not unusual to hear a student say it is “Crunch time,” meaning the end of the course is near and the pressure to make a good grade is great. Concerning Bible prophecy, crunch time has arrived in several areas:

A war with the Islamic State could be shaping up. About two months ago it was reported that the U.S. is stockpiling weapons, supplies, and mine resistant vehicles in Kuwait in preparation for a war with the Islamic State to liberate the city of Mosul in Iraq. About two weeks, ago it was reported that about 4,000 U.S. soldiers have been sent to Kuwait to participate in the attack.

A few days later, many were stunned when someone in Washington said there will be an attack in April or May before the weather gets hot. Then, following a meeting with senior military officers and diplomats from several nations, newly appointed U.S. Sec. of Defense, Ashton Carter, promised a lasting defeat of the Islamic State.

More recently, Pres. Obama, who has vowed many times that he won’t put boots on the ground in Iraq, said he is open to changes in his request for the authority to use military force against the Islamic State. The U.S. is in an evolving situation that could soon reach a boiling point.

Concerning Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons, for twelve years the West has been trying to get Iran to give up her desire to build these weapons. In Nov. 2013, the P5 + 1 (U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany) signed an agreement with Iran to settle the issue before July 20, 2014, but it didn’t happen.

They extended the negotiations until Nov. 24, 2014, but they still failed. They extended the negotiations until Mar. 31, 2015 to settle the main issues and until June 30, 2015 to settle the little details. But with about five weeks to go on the main issues, the two sides aren’t even close to producing an agreement (unless the U.S. allows Iran to become a nuclear threshold state and many are saying that is going to happen). Iran is threatening to quit the talks and Israel is saying Iran could have nuclear weapons as soon as this coming June and no later than March of next year.

Israel can probably solve this issue in about one week and some think 12 years of fruitless work on the part of the West is causing her to run out of patience.

A war between Israel and Syria with Damascus being destroyed in one night could be looming. In Dec. 2014, there were two different reports that Russia asked Hezbollah and Syria to draw up plans for an attack on Israel. Russia didn’t ask them to attack Israel, but Russia asked them to draw up plans: 1) In case the west attacks Syria, and 2) In case the west keeps imposing sanctions on Russia for her invasion of Crimea.

In Jan. 2015, Hezbollah said their organization is ready. In the past, Russia has threatened to get involved, if Syria and Israel get into a war. A war with Russia, Iran and others attacking Israel could be nearing zero hour.

About Feb. 8, 2015, a Division of Syria’s Main Battle Tanks, armored weapons, thousands of Hezbollah foot soldiers and members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanded by an Iranian General left Damascus and headed toward Israel’s border with Syria.

Syria said these troops are clearing our rebels that are fighting against Pres. Assad in Syria’s civil war. Israel believes they are taking up positions inside Syria close to Israel’s border in preparation for a regional war with the Jewish state.

On Feb. 22, 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told his cabinet: Iran has opened a first front against Israel by arming Hamas in the south (Gaza); a second front against Israel by arming Hezbollah in the north (Lebanon); and a third front against Israel by assembling a force inside Syria on Israel’s northern border.

Some say Syria, Hezbollah and Iran will lay low for a while to build bunkers, dig tunnels, lay mines, bring in more troops, weapons, fuel, etc. Others say Israel may attack before she is attacked. But either way, it is crunch time and several very important prophecies may soon be fulfilled.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck
daymond.duck@yahoo.com

Editors Note:

Daymond refers to a war between Syria and Israel in which Damascus will be destroyed. This Prophecy is found in Isaiah 17, and we believe it to be a part of a Great Middle East War which is also prophesied in Ezekiel 28, 35-37; Amos 2; Joel 1; Jeremiah 49; Zechariah 9-11; Zephaniah 2; and includes those enemies of Israel named in the Psalm 83 prayer. We believe this war precedes or is the impetus for the Gog of Magog war prophesied in Ezekiel 38 & 39. While these wars may, or may not, precede the Rapture of the Church, it is important for the Believer to have knowledge of, and an understanding of, these prophetic wars. The reality of these conflicts should cause the follower of Christ to more earnestly seek to reach out to others with the good news of the Gospel in these Last Days.

Isaiah prophesied that war will break out between Syria and Israel at the end of the age. He said that Damascus, Syria will be destroyed forever in one night (Isa. 17:1-14). Damascus has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, but it has never ceased to exist as a city in one night because no army has ever had the ability to destroy it in one night. It will cease to exist as a city in one night in the future and it will take a very big bomb to do that.

Concerning this war, Isaiah used the phrase, “In that day” three times in chapter 17 (verses 4, 9 and 10). “In that day” is a Bible phrase that refers to the end of the age. This war will take place at the end of the age.

Ezekiel prophesied that a Russian leader will think an evil thought (Ezek. 38:10), assemble a group of allies and attack Israel in the latter years and latter days (Ezek. 38:8, 16). This war will take place after Israel has returned to the Promised Land and is dwelling safely (Ezek. 38:8).

Some say “dwelling safely” means after the Antichrist confirms the seven-year covenant with many for peace in the Middle East (Dan. 9:27). But it doesn’t have to mean that because Israel is dwelling safely now under the protection of God who will not allow her to be defeated (Amos 9:15).

Having said that, the Bible does not tell us which war will happen first: Syria and Israel or Russia and Israel. But based on the fact that none of the nations that share a border with Israel (the so-called inner circle of nations) are mentioned in Russia’s war with Israel (the so-called outer circle of nations) many prophecy writers, including myself, believe the war between Syria and Israel will happen first. Some even think Syria’s war with Israel could lead to Russia’s war with Israel.

As we follow the news, Russia is like a wounded bear. She has a controversy with Israel over some missiles she shipped to a facility near Damascus a few weeks ago. Israel believes those missiles were destined for transfer to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Russia says Israel attacked them. Residents near Damascus reported hearing about ten loud explosions. Russia demanded an explanation from Israel and sent a letter of protest to the United Nations. Russia even posted a statement on the nation’s Foreign Ministry’s website that reads: Moscow is gravely concerned about this dangerous turn of events, the circumstances of which require explanations. In any case, there is no doubt that the use of force in international affairs is unacceptable and deserves to be condemned.

Russia also has a controversy with the U.S. and EU over sanctions they have placed on Russia because of the bear’s annexation of Crimea. Those sanctions along with the plunge in oil prices have destroyed Russia’s already fragile economy.

So the bear is wounded and thinking about lashing out. And it has been reported that a French official is saying Russia has asked Hezbollah and possibly Syria to develop contingency plans for a war with Israel. The report says Russia hasn’t asked Hezbollah and Syria to attack Israel.

But Russia has asked them to be ready to attack Israel, if the U.S. and EU keep applying sanctions. Do you get the point? The Bible predicts a war between Syria and Israel at the end of the age and Russia has apparently asked Syria to develop contingency plans for a war with Israel.

I recently asked, “Is Mr. Putin Gog?” And I said, “I don’t think anyone knows.” Is Gog’s “evil thought” possibly Russia telling Hezbollah and Syria to develop contingency plans for an attack on Israel? Most prophecy writers would probably say no, but we know it could lead up to it.

For about 70 years, between 1920 and 1970, the USSR was ever expanding. Soviet leaders gobbled up Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Poland, part of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, East Germany, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia and much more.

In the early 90s, some nations rebelled and demanded their independence. Soviet leaders tried to hold the union together, but the rebellion spread, the Soviets lost their power and the USSR fell apart.

Some political leaders thought the collapse of the Soviet Union meant that the world had entered a new era of peace, but by the end of the decade a former KGB agent named Vladimir Putin had risen to power and become the acting president of Russia.

He went on to become president, then prime minister and then president again. He changed laws, consolidated his power, cracked down on his opposition, rebuilt the military, developed close ties with Iran and quietly nurtured the dream of restoring the old Soviet Union. Some even said he also wanted to take over all of Europe.

Mr. Putin liked to present himself as a strongman and his desire to restore the old USSR troubled some of the former Soviet Union nations. His intervention in Georgia, Kyrgystan, Ukraine, his annexation of Crimea and the fact that he threatened to use Russian power outside Russia’s borders made them nervous.

Several of those former USSR nations joined, or tried to join NATO, primarily for protection. They had broken away from the old power-hungry bear and they didn’t want to be subjugated and forced back in.

About eight months ago when Mr. Putin took over Crimea, western leaders finally decided that he had gone too far and he needed to be turned around. They demanded that he stop supporting the opposition forces in Crimea and threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if he didn’t turn around and leave. Their initial sanctions were virtually meaningless and Mr. Putin scoffed at them, but western leaders continued to ramp up the sanctions and the bear began to hurt.

Almost overnight, there was a global glut of oil triggered by an economic downturn in Asia and Europe, fracking for oil in the U.S. and stepped up production of oil in Saudi Arabia. The price of oil quickly dropped from more than $100 per barrel to less than $60 per barrel. The Russian Ruble collapsed, the Russian economy went into a tailspin, and Russia was suddenly facing the prospects of a recession or possibly a depression.

The looming economic disaster and the likelihood that the Russian people might eventually rebel got Mr. Putin’s attention. He now appears to be looking for a way to save face, turn around and leave Crimea. But he has promised the Russian people that he will retaliate against those who have imposed sanctions on Russia and he has promised that he will solve Russia’s economic problems in the next two years.

The Russian bear’s actions made me think of the battle of Gog and Magog. Gog will try to expand his kingdom in the latter days and latter years. But God said, “I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth” (Ezek. 38:4).

Is Mr. Putin Gog? Is God turning Gog around? How will Gog retaliate? I don’t think anyone knows. We can only say that Russia must turn away from one target before God pulls her toward a second target (Israel).

God also said, “It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought” (Ezek. 38:10).

What is this evil thought? The Bible doesn’t say but it appears to be:

“To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land” (Ezek. 38:12).

And some would add, “To satisfy the ancient Islamic hatred for Israel.”

I don’t know what Mr. Putin was thinking when he told the Russian people he will solve Russia’s economic problems in the next two years, but China and India have offered to help Russia so it will take a little time for Russia’s recession to reach full bloom.

Israel has acquired phenomenal wealth with minerals from the Dead Sea, oil and natural gas, agricultural success, cattle and goods; and Mr. Putin has not been reluctant to steal from other countries. We don’t know when it will happen, but many would not be surprised to see the battle of Gog and Magog in the next two years.

A wounded bear is dangerous and this wounded bear may not be ready to go away. He may turn around and seek a different prey. But regardless of anything I have written, what he has been trying to do to Israel will be done to him. He will become the prey and God will be known in the eyes of many nations (Obad. 1:15; Ezek. 38:23; 39:17-20).

Last Tuesday our Signs of the Times update concentrated on Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the collapsing peace process. This week I’d like to revisit that subject in some detail, but first we need to take a look at the ongoing crisis situation that exists in the Ukraine, and perhaps gain some insight as to how these two international crises are related to one another in light of Biblical Prophecy.

During the EU and US sponsored talks in Belgium which brought the Russian and Ukrainian government representatives face-to-face, an understanding was reached calling for the withdrawal of all insurgents occupying government facilities. However, apparently each side in this dispute has a different idea of who the insurgents are. The Russians believe the insurgents are those who now control the Ukrainian government having forced the removal of the pro-Russian government. The Ukrainians believe the insurgents are the pro-Russian forces which have barricaded themselves inside police stations and other government facilities.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared Friday that the pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine will only lay down their arms if the Ukrainian government clears out the Maidan (square) protest camp in Kiev, and liberates the buildings that have been illegally seized. And so the stalemate continues. Meanwhile as the US begins to enact more economic sanctions on Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin has halted all communication with President Barack Obama. In fact the Kremlin has shut down all intensive high-level communication between top Russian and US officials.

With the annexation of Crimea completed, and growing unrest in evidence throughout Eastern and Southern Ukraine, I believe it is only a matter of time before Russia completes its takeover ambitions. Russian military elements along the Ukrainian border have engaged in a new series of military exercises in response to ongoing NATO exercises in Poland. As I have stated before, I believe there are several reasons for which Vladimir Putin believes Russia must control the Ukraine. These reasons include:

The natural gas pipeline which services all of Europe travels from Russia through Ukraine to Romania’s Black Sea coastal plain into the Black Forest of Germany in the heart of Europe.

South Ukraine contains huge natural gas and oil deposits both on and offshore in the Black Sea.

South Ukraine is the industrial home of much of the Russian military, with factories producing small arms and ammunition as well as military equipment and components, not to mention vast shipbuilding yards.

South Ukraine contains nuclear, coal, and hydroelectric power plants essential for Crimea. The uranium mine at Zheltiye Vody is located in South Ukraine as is Dneprozerzhinsk (the heavy water production site), capable of producing 250 metric tons of heavy water yearly.

And finally, there is a significant Russian speaking majority in South Ukraine just as there is in Crimea.

This is all necessary “stage setting” for the End Times war spelled out in Ezekiel 38 & 39 when Gog, of the land of Magog, the Prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal leads his armies and those of Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah against Israel. Crimea and the Ukraine are Russia’s gateway to the south via their ports on the Black Sea.

Turning now to Israel, this past week the Palestinian Authority completed a unity agreement with the terrorist organization Hamas, which controls Gaza. This of course effectively ended negotiations between Israel and the PA as the Palestinians sought a two state solution leading to their independence. For Mohammed Abbas, this was a clear sign he saw the peace talks going nowhere. And, unfortunately, that he cares more about relations with hard-line terrorists than he does about relations with the United States or Israel.

Two weeks ago Mohammed Abbas signed 15 international agreements which require PA to respect human rights and punish war criminals. This past week he signed a unity deal with terror groups whose leaders are war criminals. Every leader of Islamic Jihad and Hamas are considered international war criminals, partly because every single rocket launched from Gaza into Israel is a separate war crime. Under the Geneva Conventions, which Mahmoud Abbas signed onto just a couple of weeks ago, he is required to put them on trial for their war crimes. This simply proves to me that Mahmoud Abbas is himself a terrorist and the PA is a terrorist organization.

This agreement between Hamas and the PA came just days before the Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. On Sunday evening at Yad Vashem during the official state ceremony commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “This evening we will mark Holocaust Remembrance Day and the State of Israel will remember the six million victims of the Holocaust.” Earlier Sunday at his regular weekly cabinet meeting the Prime Minister stated “the main difference between the Jews’ helplessness during the Holocaust and their situation now, is that we now have a sovereign state with a strong military that protects us from those who seek to harm us.” He continued saying “Iran is at the top of the list of those who seek to destroy us” and “Aside from its own nuclear ambitions, Iran finances, arms and trains Hamas and the other terror groups lurking on our borders. Hamas denies the Holocaust while trying to facilitate another one by destroying the State of Israel.”

In the US however, Secretary of State John Kerry and this present administration continued to lay the failure of the peace process at the feet of Israel. This administration over the past 5+ years has continually treated our closest ally in the Middle East with disrespect and disdain, vilifying them for their desire to live securely within their own land. This is by far the most anti-Semitic administration in the history of the United States. From Barack Obama’s demand that Israel return to its pre-1967 borders (essentially the borders of 1949), to declaring his dislike of the Israeli Prime Minister (calling him a liar) to the president of France, to John Kerry’s continued pressure on Israel, stating that Israel was at risk of inviting the third intifada, to his most recent suggestion on April 25, that Israel is on the verge of becoming an “apartheid state,” this administration has demonstrated an unprecedented hostility towards Israel.

In fact, John Kerry’s libelous statement is a dangerous example of the precedent that has been set by this administration. This demonization of Israel only emboldens those who seek her destruction. Israel is surrounded by people’s and nations which seek to wipe her off the face of the map, and John Kerry’s anti-Semitic rhetoric will only lead to more bloodshed.

Israel’s enemies in the PA, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda, and the ISL among others are representative of the people groups listed in Psalm 83 whose desire is her total destruction. I believe this too is “stage setting” for the Last Days. Understanding the Scripture, we know that war in the Middle East is inevitable, and its outcome was prophesied many years ago. The tragedy here isn’t the war or its destruction, the tragedy is the many lives which will be lost for eternity because they reject the God of Israel and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Another part of the tragedy that I see in these Last Days, is that because of creeping liberalism within the “churches” in the US, having embraced Replacement Theology, anti-Semitism has infected not only the “church” but our politics as well. This nation is nearing destruction because it has turned its back on God’s chosen nation Israel. (See Genesis 12:3)

If you desire to know more about what the Bible says prophetically about the wars which are still to come at the end of the age, keep reading our blog for this teaching. The End Times are upon us as we live in these Last Days. There is no better time than now to turn your heart toward God because;

Since it seems to have become our custom, we will begin our update again this week with the weather.

Weather

For the first time in several weeks Washington DC and the East Coast were not affected by extreme winter weather. However hail, heavy rain, strong winds and flash floods pummeled parts of the South and the Midwest. As I noted last week these storms were predicted, but thankfully there were no deaths and very few injuries reported. Tornadoes touched down in Missouri and Texas, and large hail fell in Texas and Arkansas. The National Weather Service had been very concerned about the magnitude and intensity of the storms, but the threat did not evolve catastrophically.

By the way, Secretary of State John Kerry canceled his planned trip to Israel this past Tuesday saying the framework for peace negotiations had hit an impasse and were at risk of failing. Whew…. Relief from pressure on Israel to divide the land and storms in the US that did not reach their anticipated intensity. Are these related? In light of historical evidence it is something to consider. We’ll get back to Kerry, Israel and the Palestinians in a bit.

In Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13 we find the record of Jesus Christ’s Olivet discourse to His disciples where He prophesied of the events that were to take place before His second coming. We find written in Matthew 24:6-8: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Obviously we are aware of ongoing wars and conflicts in nearly every part of the earth, and there are reports of food shortages and famine in many countries due to weather events and/or conflicts. And in just the last couple of weeks we have been made aware of a significant Ebola outbreak in a few West African countries. This coupled with various influenza outbreaks in China and the Far East and resurgence of polio and other viruses around the world including the United States, pestilence seems to be on the rise as well.

In fact pestilence is affecting more than the human population. There have been reports of large numbers of fish dying in lakes, streams and oceans around the world; birds both wild and domestic have seen large instances of “die off” in various parts of the world; and in the US alone it is estimated that over 40% of the nation’s swine have been lost due to a new viral disease.

So then, that brings us back to the weather and natural events. This past week we have seen a number of earthquakes around the world many ranging between 4.0 and 8.0 on the Richter scale. In fact there are some interesting numbers out of Oklahoma. From 1975 until 2008 the state of Oklahoma recorded less than six earthquakes a year. From the period between 2008 and 2012 Oklahoma recorded 278 earthquakes that registered 3.0 or greater, and in 2013 there were 222 earthquakes which registered 3.0 or greater. And now in 2014 in less than four months state of Oklahoma has registered 253 such tremors.

These numbers and percentages of increase are reflected in most states in the US, and in fact a similar percentage of increase in frequency is reported in every country and every continent around the world. And, that being the case, this increase certainly cannot be blamed on “fracking” alone, because this practice is not in use in every oil-producing country, and certainly isn’t in use in countries that do not produce oil.

And since we’re looking at seismic activity, the Earth’s crust, and natural disasters; last week seven volcanoes in six different countries began erupting within hours of each other. Volcanoes in Japan, Mexico, Vanuatu, Guatemala, Italy, and Indonesia (Mount Sinabung and Mount Merapi) all began belching lava and ash. Ash clouds from 4 to 6 miles high were reported over these volcanoes, and in some cases interrupted airline flight patterns. So many volcanoes throwing so much gas, ash and particulates into the air can have an effect on climate, this is a scientific fact. I’m not saying that these volcanoes herald the start of a new ice age but the planet certainly seems to be getting a bit more active of late.

Continued large eruptions put a huge amount of particulate matter into the atmosphere, and these particles reflect sunlight away from earth and when there is enough of them the temperatures can drop. Aside from the devastating effects the lava and ash can have on the lives of those living near to them, due to crop and property losses, and other economic factors, the global impact can be enormous. These losses can lead to many hardships including hunger and famine as is evidenced after the Tambora eruption of 1815, and the Icelandic eruption of Eyjafjallojkull in 2010.

These earthquake and volcanic spasms of the earth continue to come without warning, but at the same time these spasms should be a wakeup call to all of us that we are indeed living in perilous times, and as Christ foretold; “all these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Israel and Palestine

Well now, as I mentioned before John Kerry postponed his latest trip to the Middle East. The Secretary of State said that the United States was evaluating whether to continue its role in Middle East peace talks after claiming that both the Palestinians and Israelis had taken steps that were not helpful to the negotiations. Kerry said that it was “reality check time” because there was a limit to the amount of time United States could spend on the peace process. Saying it was important to keep the peace process moving, but that “in the end, it is up to the parties,” Kerry said; “This is not an open-ended effort, it never has been. It is reality check time, and we intend to evaluate precisely what the next steps will be.”

I wrote last week that a senior Palestinian official had admitted that the only reason the Palestinians had entered into the negotiations for peace was to secure the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners (most of whom are terrorists). This statement set off a chain of events which has led to this impasse. After hearing the comments of Palestinian official, Israel decided not to release the final 26 prisoners they were scheduled to release as a condition for these ongoing talks. Following that Mohammed Abbas signed 14 UN conventions including the Geneva Convention and has positioned the Palestinians to sign up to 25 more in an effort to move Palestine closer toward Statehood recognition by the UN.

Additionally Abbas has made new demands on the Israelis including;

Israeli recognition of the pre-1967 lines as the future borders of a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The PA is to be given sovereignty over Area C in the West Bank (the area Knesset Member Naftali Bennett wants to annex)

Israeli military operations must stop in PA-controlled territories and “reunion” permits are to be issued for 15,000 Palestinians.

The border crossings must be reopened and the blockade on the Gaza Strip lifted.

The Palestinian gunmen who were deported to the Gaza Strip and Europe after they sought shelter in the Nativity Church in Bethlehem must be allowed to return to the West Bank.

The Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, said Wednesday the Palestinians may seek to join the International Criminal Court and more U.N. agencies if there is no progress in peace talks with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised retaliatory measures on Sunday after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made the unilateral moves towards statehood (moves which the PA agreed it would not make while the “Peace” talks continued). While not immediately specifying what action he would take, he said Israel remained willing to press on with U.S.-brokered peace talks, but not “at any price”.

Also in Israel, the IDF struck militant targets in the Gaza Strip this past weekend after Palestinians renewed rocket fire into Israel.

Syria

Israeli security source confirms Assad regime recently used chemical weapon. According to Israeli security assessments, Syrian government forces used non-lethal substance on March 27 against rebel fighters near Damascus. Despite the assertion by the security source that the chemical is nonlethal, some reports suggested that four people were killed in the March 27 attack. The “Syria Deeply” website cited the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a group of Syrian-American doctors and surgeons traveling in and out of Syria, as condemning what it described as a “poisonous gas attack” in Harasta.

Saudi Arabia

After President Obama’s visit with the Saudi King last week sources inside (Sunni) Saudi Arabia say it is apparent to them that the Obama administration has sided with (Shiite Iran). The Obama administrations interference in the Middle East has brought an end to Sunni controlled governments in Egypt and Libya while doing very little to end the Shiite regime of Bashar al Assad in Syria. Interestingly neither Obama and the US delegation nor the Saudis brought up the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the talks. It is widely understood that the Saudis have adopted the idea that the enemy (Israel) of my enemy (Iran) is my friend. The Saudis are indeed as concerned that Iran may achieve nuclear capabilities as Israel is.

Russia

Meanwhile Vladimir Putin continues to take advantage of every foreign policy failure of the Obama administration. He has opened doors for communications with the Saudis, the Egyptians, and Palestinians, while maintaining his relationships with Syria and Iran.
The Russian takeover of Crimea and it’s continued presence along Ukrainian border have fostered rebellion among Russian speaking citizens of Ukraine which I believe will eventually lead to Russian takeover. Ukrainian troops have dug in at border in a stare down with Russian troops. Braced against the driving snow, fresh-faced newly conscripted Ukrainian soldiers stare over the border with Russia, waiting to attempt to fend off an invasion from Russian troops amassed on the other side.

China

As China continues to exert pressure on its neighbors in the South China Sea by claiming more and more territory, the US State Department issued a statement warning China not to attempt annexations such as that done by Russia with Crimea.
One day after China brought US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on board its first aircraft carrier as the first foreign visitor, its defense minister warned that no one, not even the United States, could contain its military ambitions. Gen. Chang Wanquan said; “With the latest developments in China, it can never be contained,” and that the US is “a country of worldwide influence, and the Pacific Ocean is huge enough to hold both China and the US for common development and also huge enough to hold the other Asia-Pacific countries.”

Again, the Obama administration has weakened the United States in influence economically, politically, and militarily throughout the world. This my friends is another “sign of the times” (see our Blog post “Biblical Prophecy; what is still to come? ~ Part 1”).

Keep your Eyes on Israel, and keep looking for the return of our Lord because; Jesus is Coming Soon!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, for the fourth week in a row a winter snow storm has descended on the East Coast and Washington DC. Of course while this is more than a little unusual, in light of our update over the past month it certainly shouldn’t be unexpected. Even as President Obama meets with European leaders at The Hague in the Netherlands, his administration continues to hold out hope that they can force Israel and the Palestinian Authority into accepting their “Framework for Peace.”

Israel

On Saturday Moshe Yaalon, Israel’s defense minister, said in a March 21 speech at Tel Aviv University that the United States is “demonstrating weakness” around the world. And, Caroline Glick, a senior contributing editor to The Jerusalem Post, says America, through President Obama, is “inviting this sort of aggression by countries like Russia, by countries like Iran, by showing such profound weakness in foreign affairs.” The Washington Times reported, Secretary of State John Kerry called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to complain about his defense ministers comments, and he continued his pressure on Netanyahu to make concessions with the Palestinians in the so-called peace process.

Meanwhile also on Saturday morning March 21, a rain-soaked hillside collapsed swallowing dozens of homes near Oso, Snohomish County in Washington State.

Rescue workers searched through mucky rubble on Tuesday with hopes dwindling of finding any more survivors from among as many as 176 people still missing from the devastating weekend mudslide which killed at least 14. More than 100 properties were hit by the mudslide. John Pennington, Snohomish County’s director of emergency management, said that after three days, the operation was shifting from a rescue operation to a recovery mission.

Is this merely coincidence, or another instance of another severe weather natural catastrophe resulting from continued pressure by the government of the United States on Israel to divide their land and eternal capital of Jerusalem? (Once again I encourage you to review our past Tuesday posts for more information.)

In other news concerning Israel, a rising chorus of Israeli voices is again raising the possibility of carrying out a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in what appears to be an attempt to draw renewed attention to Tehran’s atomic program — and Israel’s unhappiness with international negotiations with the Iranians. Despite ongoing talks and negotiations between Iran and the West over the Iranian nuclear program, Israel is taking no chances. Based on recent statements by senior military officers, a whopping amount of at least 10 billion shekels ($2.89 billion) has been set aside by Israel for a potential unilateral military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities in 2014. This decision reflects the determination of the Israeli government not to be bound by the interim accord that was reached between Iran and the US led Western nations.

Israel’s decision is based on the stated need to ensure its self-defense even as it becomes clearer that the Obama administration and the U.S, is not going to lead the campaign against Iran or to be a dependable ally for a military solution against Iran.

Joel Rosenberg has recently commissioned McLaughlin & Associates to take several Polls which have noted some interesting results.

In one exclusive new poll: 72% of Americans see Putin as a “clear and present danger” to U.S. and Israel. While other polls showed that 85% of Americans are concerned young people don’t know enough about the Holocaust or are learning lessons of how to confront evil.

In another new poll conducted at the request of Rosenberg: 68% of Americans fear a “nuclear holocaust” here in U.S. if Iran is permitted to build nuclear weapons, and the most recent of these polls find that: 59% of Americans support “decisive” US strike on Iran to prevent “Second Holocaust,” if diplomacy & sanctions fail. All of these polls seem to reflect a completely different attitude by the American people than that of our present administration.

Russia & Ukraine

As of Monday Russian troops have completed the takeover of all military bases in Crimea, and Vladimir Putin continues to ignore pressure from the international community. As I stated last week, the takeover of Crimea is a done deal, and as Russian troops continue to mass on the Ukrainian border, I believe it is only a matter of time, perhaps days, that Russia will invade and take over the rest of the Ukraine. President Obama’s war of words with Russia and Vladimir Putin continued on Tuesday from the Hague, as Russia was removed as a member of the G8. However, Russian leaders continue to mock the weakness of Obama’s leadership.

In other International News

North Korea fired 30 short-range rockets into the sea off the east of the Korean peninsula early on Saturday in response to continued joint defense drills by the US & South Korea.

China continues to help in the search for the missing Malaysian Jet, yet has used the experience to move more of its naval fleet into positions in the disputed territorial island groups in Japanese and Philippine waters.

The Malaysian Prime Minister meanwhile announced that they have determined that the jet crashed in the South Indian Sea and that there were no survivors. Chinese authorities have demanded to see all of the radar and satellite information which precipitated this announcement.

In an interesting commentary on the incident, Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Christian evangelist Billy Graham, recently drew a connection between the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and the Rapture, as described in Thessalonians 4:16-17. She made the connection on her personal blog just after the plane went missing, suggesting that the feeling of unknowingness and helplessness that has affected the world since the flight disappeared on March 8 will be the same feeling experienced by mankind when the Rapture happens and Jesus calls his church to meet him in the air and join him in heaven. She concluded, nonbelievers will be left to wonder: “Where have all the people gone?”

On the Culture front

Nabisco has added its voice to the current trend of forcing liberal social agendas on the rest of us by producing a commercial for their Honey Maid graham crackers and Teddy Grahams snacks showing a homosexual couple raising two children with a voiceover stating “this is wholesome.” The ad concludes by saying; “No matter how things change, what makes us wholesome never will. Honey Maid — everyday wholesome snacks for every wholesome family. This is wholesome.” So Nabisco has joined Coca Cola and Chevrolet in specifically marketing homosexuality.

Make no mistake, no matter what the LGBT groups, leftist liberals, and liberal theologies postulate, the Bible calls homosexuality a sin. And, God’s word is Truth and as such not open to revision or private interpretation. Sin is Sin no matter what the sin is, and there are no degrees of sin, in God’s eyes all are inseparable and all require repentance. Only the righteousness provided by Christ at the Cross can pay the debt of sin we owe. The good news is that while God hates sin, He loves the sinner and has provided the righteousness of Jesus Christ, through His shed blood, to redeem any who will accept Jesus as Savior and Lord of their lives, repenting of their sin.

Please be watching for our update on Friday as we take a look at the world of Finance.

Remember what our Lord Jesus said to His disciples about the events we are seeing happen around us today… Luke 21:28“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”